Large piece of tsunami debris recovered near Hawaii

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, Joshua Marvit, of the State of Hawaii Dept. of Health, tests a 16-foot skiff for radiation after the vessel was salvaged by the crew of the F/V Zephyr approximately 800 miles north of Honolulu.

A 20-foot skiff, or small boat, washed out to sea during the March 2011 Japan tsunami has been recovered by a fisherman in waters off Hawaii, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

DLNR and federal officials announced a news conference this afternoon to talk about the recovery of the item and the cooperative roles of state and federal agencies in responding to arriving tsunami debris.

The Coast Guard said Friday the crew of the fishing boat Zephyr found the small boat intact and floating about 800 miles north of Honolulu.

The Coast Guard says the Japanese consulate confirmed the skiff was from the tsunami after Japanese Foreign Ministry contacted the owner. The owner doesn’t want it back.

Hawaii officials checked the boat for invasive species and radiation as a precaution.

Last month officials said a four-foot-square blue plastic bin was the first confirmed piece of tsunami debris from Japan to reach Hawaii.

Authorities ask people who find possible tsunami debris to call the Department of Land and Natural Resources at 587-0400, email dlnr@hawaii.gov or contact the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at disasterdebris@noaa.gov.

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busterbwrote:

Doesn't want it back? Why are we patrolling this floating junk pile? Why aren't the Japanese collecting their own trash?

on October 5,2012 | 01:39PM

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kahu808wrote:

UPS would have charged too much.

on October 5,2012 | 02:00PM

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Anonymouswrote:

Because it's scattered all over the Northern to Mid Pacific Ocean.....Why don't you go and try to find all that debris ????? Be kinda hard huh ... That's why the Japanese aren't able to do it.....and besides it's not a "pile" as you put it !!!!! GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND GET AN EDUCATION.....

on October 5,2012 | 09:31PM

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BTOwrote:

Beachcombers harvest this weekend!!

on October 5,2012 | 03:29PM

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iwanaknowwrote:

Any Japanese glass balls floating around or have they all gone plastic?

on October 5,2012 | 04:48PM

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64hoowrote:

they don't have to check for radiation that boat was long gone before the radiation melt down i wonder if there checking radiation for all the tuna and marlin and other fish for radiation that we catch in the pacific i don't think theres even enough radiation to hurt anybody you get more radiation taking an x-ray than you do with whats floating around out there.